Food service, entertainment offer summer prospects

Monday

May 6, 2013 at 3:15 AM

By Liz Markhlevskayalmark@fosters.com

ROCHESTER — For teens looking to get a summer job this year, food service and entertainment businesses offer a good chance of getting hired.With the New Hampshire population getting older, and fewer younger people in the state than five or seven years ago, there is also less competition for jobs among workers under the age of 18, said Annette Nielsen, economist with the N.H. Department of Employment Security.

Nielsen said that last year, between April and July, there was larger than normal growth in the number of jobs added to the accommodation and food services industry. The number of jobs in that category increased by 10,000, or about 20 percent.

Jobs in the arts, entertainment, and recreation also saw an increase last year, with 4,000 to 5,000 jobs added between April and July of 2012. By comparison, jobs in retail, increased by only about 3,500 during the same time period.

For those looking for a summer job, Nielsen suggests they look in places such as parks, arcades, golf courses and anything seasonal. The chances of being hired, she said, will likely be similar to last year, though Nielson noted her department does not make predictions on the economy.

Erika Weidner, executive director for the YMCA of Strafford County, said the Rochester YMCA is looking to hire about 25 additional employees for the summer season. Some open positions include camp counselors, specialists, as well as counselors in training, often filled by teens who learn how to be counselors on the job.

Weidner said the YMCA is also hiring lifeguards and swim instructors.

“Anybody who is of age to work is considered,” said Weidner. She noted that certain positions, such as lifeguards and pool operators, require certification and can be more difficult to fill.

Zinga, a year-round frozen yogurt shop that opened on North Main Street last fall, is currently looking to hire new staff for the summer season. Marcy Dureau, one of the managers, said the shop has about nine employees, but about six more will be added.

She said the store is looking for people with a friendly, upbeat attitude, and that Zinga usually is a good fit for high school students looking for a summer job.

For students who are under the age of 16, it is important to remember an extra step in the hiring process. For those who are 12 to 15 years of age, employers must have a Youth Employment Certificate, known as “working papers,” kept on file, according to the N.H. Labor Department.

To get the Certificate, a student first needs to find a job; then, the employer completes the Employer’s Request for Child Labor and gives it to the student. The student then has to take the form to his or her superintendent’s office, and the school will issue the required certificate, which the student then has to take back to the employer.

Those who are 16 and 17 years old do not need “working papers,” but they do have to get permission from a parent or guardian.